Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-04-28
But Rose declined. ana rose to 90,

ness IN your engagement, dear.
''Oh, as for that, there's nothing posi-
lively settled yet" laughed the merry
widow. but I'll let you know when
the day is named"
So Rose went quietly back to the
lonely comfortless place she called her
home, and turned the pictures face
against the wall.
Il might have known it," she said
with the calmness of despair. would
he have parted with this if he had not
ceased to loveP All, never, neverr'
Nearly two years before, Rose had
sech the picture exposed for sale in a
shop-window.
To go and ask for the artist and
owner was her first impulse. Her heart
beat so that it almost choked her, with
hope of finding her lover.
For they had lost sight of each other
since his going away. Her fathers
bankruptcy and death had hurled her
down from her old high place, SO that
he could not find her; and she-having
held no correspondence with him-had
no means of discovering where he was.
THE owner of the picture, Mr..
Greyson, had left it in payment of q
debt" the man in the shop told her.
"Mr. Greyson had been sick, and was
very poor 1t was to be sold for what it
would fetch, and if it brought more than
would pay the debt, the surplus would
go to him."
Now Rose had ten pounds. It was
all that was left of the little that had
been hers at her fathers death. At the
thought of Clarence, sick and suffering,
all natural resentment and wounded
pride at his parting with her portrait
passed away, and she resolved that the
ten pounds should be his.
The girl was very proud, and it had
stung her to think that when he re-
turned to claim her he would find her
poor; that sting was gone now.
So she asked what the debt amounted
to, and found it was four pounds-that
would leave six for his own necessities,
she thought, with thrill of Joy. She
was very ignorant of business matters,
and very confiding; it never occurred
to her to mistrust the shopkeeper As
it happened-and fortunately for Clar-
ence-he was honest enough.
Il will pay ten pounds for the pict-
ure," she said, and handed him the
amount. "If you will give me pencil
and paper will leave my address for
Mr.. Greyson. We are old friends"
The man obeyed, bewildered; he had
not even expected to realize the amount
of the debt.
This is u piece of luck for him, in
deedr' said he.
She wrote her address, but no name
of course, Clarence would know her
writing-took the receipt the man gave
her, and the picture, and went home
rejoicing greatly.
Clarence would come tomorrow! She
made her poor room bright with flow
ers and such small trifes of ornaments
as yet remained to her, and put on her
prettiest dress, and took her work and
sat down, in wildly joyful excitement,
to wait.
And he never, never came!
Oh! how many bitter histories of dis
appointed hopes and broken hearts may
be told over in those simple eruel
words-''She sat down joyfully to wait
for him-and he never, never came!
For q good reason in this instance
he lay dangerously sick. 1t was with
out his knowledge that the picture
which he had allowed his landlord to
hold as security-had been exposed for
sale.
When he recovered, the shopkeeper
had lost poor Roses address, and
deemed it most prudent not to mention
having received it at all.
Clarence's grief at the loss of the por.
trait was great. He had been as faith.
full as his little, watching, waiting, des.
pairing love.
ut is an evil omen," he said mourn
fully. 81 have lost my Rose of Roses
for good and all!' 80
Evil omen or not, matters began to
mend with him.
The six pounds-tritie as it was
saved him, for while, from the hard
necessity of painting for daily bread,
and gave him time to finish painting
on which he had built great hopes.
Those hopes were realized. His
painting made success-sold for wha,
seemed to him little fortune.
He found a patroness-the wealthy
Mrs. Vane; was received into brilliant
society-in fact, his days of misery were
over, and prosperous future lay fair
and bright before him.
''And all thanks to some unknown
stranger, who purchased a treasure
that priced as my own self! My Rose
of Roses! shall we meet no moreF
What is wealth worth unless you can
share itP"
He would have bought the picture
back ut any price, and to that end ad-
rtlsed for it-thus:
MY Rose of Roses The artist will
give the purchaser of this picture three
times the amount that was paid for it. "
And Rose saw the advertisement; il
cut her to the soul.
HE is rich now, and l am poor; he
grudges ME even the very memory OF
the past Oh, heartless! Cruelr'
A cooler second thought suggested
that there might be something to ex-
plain.
"Write to him-send your address
do not condemn the man you love un-
heard; give him chance to defend
himself"
Thus pleaded reason and love. Pride
pushed them aside.
''Will you beg him to come to you
twice? You sent your address before
and were spurned, ignored; viii you
lie in the dust at his feet againP Die
ratherp'